Presentation of the self antigen myelin basic protein by dendritic cells leads to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Bone marrow (BM)-derived dendritic cells (DC) are potent stimulators of nai ve CD4(+) T cell activation. Because DC are efficient at Ag processing and could potentially present self Ags, we investigated the role of DC in the p resentation of an encephalitogenic peptide from myelin basic protein (Ac1-1 1) in the induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), To determine if DC could prime for EAE, we transferred DC pulsed with Ac1-11 o r with medium alone into irradiated mice in combination with CD4(+) T cells isolated from a mouse transgenic for a TCR specific for Ac1-11 + I-A(u). M ice transferred with Ac1-11-pulsed DC developed EAE 7-10 days later, wherea s mice receiving medium-pulsed DC did not. By day 15, all mice given peptid e-loaded DC had signs of tail and hind limb paralysis, and by day 20 infilt ration of Ac1-11-specific CD4(+) T cells was detected in the brain parenchy ma, We also demonstrated interactions between Ac1-11-pulsed DC and Ac1-11-s pecific T cells in the lymph nodes 24 h following adoptive transfer of both cell populations. These data show that DC can efficiently present the self Ag myelin basic protein Ac1-11 to Ag-specific T cells in the periphery of mice to induce EAE.